DAVE MACKENZIE IS THE LIVING ART PIONEER WHO CREATED ‘BREATHE’

31 YEARS AGO, DAVE STARTED HIS CAREER IN HORTICULTURE,

OPENING HIS NURSERY,

HORTECH IN SPRING LAKE, MI.

ABOUT A DECADE AGO,

DAVE STARTED LOOKING BEYOND TRADITIONAL LANDSCAPING

DAVE’s VISION: RESTORE NATURE TO OUR BUILT

ENVIRONMENT BY CLOAKING

BUILDINGS IN GREENERY

IN 2007, DAVE INTRODUCED LIVEROOF,

A PLANTED GREEN ROOF SYSTEM THAT HAS GREENED OVER 1000 BUILDINGS WORLDWIDE

CATHEDRAL SQUARE – DIOCESE OF GRAND RAPIDS

AS SOON AS DAVE INTRODUCED

LIVEROOF, DESIGNERS AND BUILDING

OWNERS PRESSED HIM TO DEVELOP A BETTER LIVING WALL SYSTEM

GRAND RAPIDS DOWNTOWN MARKET

IN 2012, AFTER NEARLY FIVE YEARS OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT,

DAVE LAUNCHED THE LIVEWALL

OUTDOOR LIVING WALL SYSTEM

THE RAPID CENTRAL STATION

IN 2013, DAVE INTRODUCED

LIVEWALL INDOOR, A DRIP-FREE

LIVING WALL SYSTEM

GRAND RAPIDS DOWNTOWN MARKET 2ND FLOOR

IN 2013, DAVE ALSO ENTERED ARTPRIZE

FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND ‘BACK TO EDEN’ FINISHED IN THE

TOP 25 ENTRIES BY POPULAR VOTE

THIS YEAR, DAVE FURTHER PUSHED

THE ENVELOPE, ENTERING A BIGGER AND BOLDER WORK OF LIVING ART

IN DESIGNING ‘BREATHE,’ DAVE

SOUGHT TO ILLUSTRATE THE

CRITICAL ROLE PLANTS PLAY IN OUR ABILITY TO SURVIVE

THE EAST-FACING GRAPHIC SPELLS BREATHE O2 (OXYGEN)

WITH WHITE FLOWERS

BECAUSE THE VITAL PROCESS OF

PHOTOSYNTHESIS OCCURS IN THE LEAVES,

BREATHE FEATURES GRAPHICS OF MICHIGAN NATIVE TREES

CATALPA (NORTH SIDE) OAK, BEECH, MAPLE (WEST SIDE)

BREATHE IS 22’ TALL AT ITS PEAK

BREATHE TOOK OVER 3 WEEKS TO CONSTRUCT

BREATHE IS

NEARLY 150’ LONG

ABOUT THE LIVEWALL SYSTEM,

THE CANVAS OF ‘BREATHE’…

WHAT’S UNDERNEATH: WINDOW-BOX STYLE PLANTERS

How Does it Work?

HOW IT WORKS: RAIN-LIKE RAIL DELIVERY

WATER TRAVELS THROUGH

HOLLOW ALUMINUM RAILS

TO SPRAY NOZZLES ABOVE

EACH TIER OF PLANTERS

WHERE IT’S MADE: LOCALLY SOURCED AND MANUFACTURED

COMPONENTS

PLANTS WERE PLANTED IN APRIL,

AND WERE GROWN OFFSITE UNTIL

PLANTING, WHICH TOOK A WEEK

AT NIGHT, SEE THE WALL IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT

BREATHE INCORPORATES ROPE LIGHTING,

WHICH HELPS TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF LIGHT IN

THE PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS